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06/19/2023 07:20 AMThe organizers of a gun giveback program in Old Saybrook are touting the program’s success and looking toward doing more in the future.
On June 3, The Old Saybrook Police Department (OSPD) held an anonymous gun and ammunition turn-in to get unwanted and illegal guns and ammo off the streets.
At the event, only seven weapons were turned in per a post on the OSPD Facebook page. However, organizers are still saying the event was a success.
Gun giveback programs allow for people who have guns they no longer want — be it one they purchased on their own or one they came into possession of through other means — to be safely, easily, and legally disposed of.
“The goal of today was to create awareness, as part of Gun Safety Month, of the safe and continuous opportunity to dispose of unwanted firearms and ammunition by turning it over to your local police department,” the social media post from OSPD stated.
“We were specifically seeking households were perhaps a loved one who owned a firearm has passed, and those who inherited the weapon no longer want it in the house. This was exactly the case for many of the weapons that were turned in today,” it continued.
The idea for the program sprung from an idea selectman Matt Pugliese had last year to do some sort of gun giveback or buyback program. Pugliese was at the event on June 3 and told the Harbor News afterward, “From my perspective, I was happy with the turnout,” Pugliese said.
Pugliese pointed out that in addition to the gun and ammo giveback, OSPD was also giving out free gun locks, which Pugliese said several more people took advantage of.
“A bunch of people who didn’t turn in any guns came to get the gun locks which I thought was a great piece of it as well. It was great we could make this happen,” Pugliese said.
Pugliese said the types of weapons turned in were in line with what OSPD expected. “It really was pretty much what the chief outlined we should expect,” Pugliese said.
Prior to the event, Old Saybrook Police Chief Michael Spera said turned-in guns would be taken to the state crime lab to be analyzed to see if the gun had been used in any serious crimes. The guns were then destroyed.
Spera explained that it’s not uncommon for people to come into contact with guns or ammo that they don’t want.
“It happens a lot of times when someone is cleaning out a house, and they come across a firearm and are not sure what to do. We’re advertising that we are here to take the guns for them,” Spera said last month.
Spera said those unwanted guns can become a serious public safety risk if they are stolen and find their way into the hands of criminals.
The event was a giveback program, not a buyback program. In other words, there was no monetary value exchanged for the gun; the department was simply asking for people to turn in unwanted guns.
The idea of holding this kind of program was first broached last summer.
“After the events in Uvalde, the police department, school district, [the] Board of Selectmen and Police Commission had been in communication regarding our current operations and protocols for security,” Pugliese told the Harbor News last year. “Chief Spera made a few possible recommendations for some other ‘low-hanging fruit’ type possible steps. I felt that it was worth pursuing and continuing the conversation to take action on a gun buyback or giveback program — however simple — in the interest of public safety. I felt that was our responsibility as town leaders,” he continued.
Eventually, it was decided to move forward with a giveback program rather than a buyback program and then re-evaluate how the program worked.
Asked if there were any plans to do a similar activity in the future, Pugliese said, “I’m going to continue to advocate for it; this is a basic activity we can do in the name of public safety.” Pugliese said he would be interested in considering doing a buyback program and adding the monetary incentive to bolster turnout.
“Personally, I’m very thankful to the other selectmen for supporting this initiative, and I appreciate Chief Spera and the department for picking this up,” Pugliese said.
Spera said that people with unwanted guns do not need to wait for a giveback or buyback program and can bring them to the police to be taken care of.
People can turn over unwanted firearms or ammunition or get a free gun lock by calling 860-395-3142 or coming to the police department in person.
“We will take unwanted guns at the department 24/7. If someone does not want to touch the gun, they can call us, and we will send an officer to come picks up the gun as well,” Spera said.